out of breath over the last few weeks my 2 year old staffie when doing any exercise or running is completly out of breath breathing like hes about to have a heart attack this some times with minimal exerction watching him is quite worrying not sure if its the heat as hes never had such problems in the past or may be his weight he does nt look ova weight but is by 2 kg i am rectifining the weight at the moment but any body any ideas ive aso bought him a special bandana that he can wear that stays cool to keep his temp down From the topic: Comments Post a comment in this discussion: 19 Aug 2009 16:02  Hi Katrina, Conditions which would cause a sudden intolerance to exercise would be unusual in such a young dog but as there has been an obvious and sudden change I think you should have him checked over by your vet. They will be able to give him a full check-over and, most importantly, have a good listen to his heart and chest, which would be my primary concern in these circumstances. However, as I say, problems would be unusual. The most common cause for dogs to become excessively exhausted after exercise at this time of year is the heat. Staffies especially are vulnerable to this problem as they have shortened noses and a lot of soft tissue in their mouths. This means that when they start to pant a lot to cool down, the tissue in their mouths can swell, making breathing difficult. The same is true of breeds such as Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Dogs who are over-weight are also prone to heat stoke. Have him checked out by your vet but in the meantime ensure you do not over-exert him and take him for walks during the cooler parts of the day. Cat |
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